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Friday, November 01, 2013

Pastor Bill Wininger - I smell a rat

Baptist pastor Bill Wininger stepped down from his post at King’s Way Baptist Church amidst allegations that he molested a girl at another church 20 years ago. The abuse started at age three.

“We want to prayerfully inform everyone that we have been informed that our pastor has resigned and will be submitting his formal resignation immediately,” Dr. Ray Conway, King’s Way Christian School administrator, wrote in the Oct. 18 letter. “Pastor Wininger will no longer be involved in the ministry of The King’s Way Baptist Church and King’s Way Christian School. As many of you already know, our pastor has inflicted life-threatening harm upon himself and we would prayerfully ask that you pray for his well-being.”

Wininger wrote a book titled A Church Falsely Accused. He published about the time as his alleged abuse. It told the story of unproven allegations of sexual abuse at his Michigan church. I bought a used copy for my library.

The victim in this case went public and is my hero. She is Bethany Foeller Leonard. She started the Facebook group Justice for the Victims of Bill Wininger. Please join her group if you are able. We need more voices, and more heroes, demand justice. You can read her story here in a letter she wrote describing the abuse.

There was no questioning him; he was never wrong. You did not tell him “no”…kids, adults, nobody. He had an anger that could send chills down your spine, whether it was the screaming from the pulpit or the intimidating words he could offer face-to-face. So when he told me that I was bad, I knew he was right. After all, in the IFB realm, the adults were always right. They held all the power and the kids held none. Parents were taught to always side with the authority, to never let their kids see adults be undermined.

I read the whole thing. It’s chilling.

The Facebook group reads like there are more victims that have yet to come forward. I’ll do my best to keep current on the story here.